20 Years SAR Interferometry for Monitoring Ground Deformation over the former Potash-Mine “Glückauf” in Thuringia

Geophysical processes and anthropogenic activities cause the deformation of the Earth's surface, both mechanisms interacting sometimes simultaneously. While the occurrence of those processes in rural areas may not always directly a ect the population, the determination of surface deformation in inhabited areas is of high relevance to prevent risks. Traditional surveying techniques provide exact but usually spatially and temporally limited deformation information, making a regular monitoring of whole urban areas di cult. Since about 20 years, RADAR remote sensing, especially SAR interferometry, provide dense and accurate ground motion information, completing hereby the traditional monitoring techniques. This present study investigates ground surface dynamics in a town close to a former potash-mine situated in the northern part of Thuringia, Germany, by means of multi-temporal SAR interferometry. Using the method of Persistent Scatterer Interferometry, 20 years of RADAR data from multiple sensors are evaluated and compared to in-situ data. It shows that ground subsidences decreased since the closing and back lling of the mine, which is in accordance with surveying activities on this site

Monitoring of Radial Deformations of a Gravity Dam Using Sentinel-1 Persistent Scatterer Interferometry

Dams have many important socio-economic functions, fulfilling roles ranging from storing water to power generation, but also serving as leisure areas. Monitoring of their deformation is usually performed using time-consuming traditional terr estrial techniques, leading to a yearly monitoring cycle. To increase the monitoring cycle, new methods are needed. Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI) is a well-established technique for monitoring millimeter deformation of the Earth’s surface. The availability of free and open SAR data with a repeat cycle of 6 to 12 days from the Copernicus mission Sentinel-1, allows PSI to be used complementary to traditional surveying techniques. This present study investigates deformation dynamics at the Moehne gravity dam in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. The applicability of the PSI technique to the deformation monitoring of dams is evaluated, in relation to the necessary accuracy requirements. For this purpose, Sentinel-1 data from January 2015 to November 2020 are analyzed and the deformation estimates are assessed with in situ information. Using a precise dam model, the radial deformation of the dam could be extracted and compared to trigonometric and plumb measurements. The first results show that the movements of the Moehne dam follow a seasonal pattern, reaching a maximum radial deformation of up to 4 mm in Spring, following a decline to −4 mm in the late summer. RMSE between 1.1 mm and 1.5 mm were observed between the PSI observations and the in situ data, showing that the PSI technique achieves the necessary accuracy requirements for gravity dam monitoring from space

Überwachung der Möhnestaumauer durch satellitengestützte Persistent Scatterer Interferometrie

Im Bereich der Infrastrukturüberwachung gewinnen Methoden der Radarfernerkundung mittels Satellitendaten an Bedeutung. Insbesondere die Technik der Persistent Scatterer Interferometrie (PSI) hat sich in diversen Studien als kostengünstige und genaue Ergänzung zu traditionellen Vermessungstechniken etabliert. Sie berechnet für relativ stabile Objekte auf der Erdoberfläche über einen zu bestimmenden Zeitraum Deformationen. Hierfür bieten sich besonders die seit 2014 frei verfügbaren Sentinel-1 Satellitendaten des europäischen Copernicus-Programms an. Da Staumauern in der bisherigen Forschung kein wesentlicher Bestandteil waren, untersucht diese Studie die Anwendbarkeit der PSI-Technik am Beispiel der Möhnestaumauer. Zudem werden Aussagen über die Genauigkeit durch Vergleiche mit geodätischen in-situ Messungen getroffen. Durch die Anwendung der PSI-Technik konnten Deformationen berechnet werden, die im Vergleich mit den in-situ Daten hohe Genauigkeiten aufweisen, wodurch gezeigt wird, dass die Technik an Staumauern anwendbar ist.In the field of infrastructure monitoring, methods of radar remote sensing using satellite data are gaining importance. In particular, the technique of persistent scatterer interferometry (PSI) has established itself in various studies as a cost-effective and accurate supplement to traditional surveying techniques. It calculates deformations for rather stable objects on the Earth's surface over a choosen period of time. The Sentinel-1 satellite data of the European Copernicus program, which have been freely available since 2014, are particularly suitable for this purpose. Since gravity dams have not been an essential part of previous research in this field, this study examines the applicability of the PSI technique using the Möhne dam as an example. Furthermore, statements about the accuracy are made by comparison with geodetic in-situ measurements. By applying the PSI technique, deformations that show high accuracies compared to the in-situ data could be calculated, demonstrating that the technique is applicable to dam walls

Vergleich von Bodenbewegungen mit In-situ Messungen zur Überwachung von Deformationen an Staubauwerken in Thüringen

In dieser Studie wurden Satellitenbeobachtungen mittels Persistent Scatterer Interferometrie (PSI) an der Tal-sperre Leibis/Lichte im Thüringer Schiefergebirge mit In-situ-Lotdaten verglichen, um Deformationen an Stau-bauwerken zu überwachen. Es zeigte sich eine starke Korrelation zwischen den Satellitendaten des Boden Bewegungsdienstes Deutschland (BBD) und den In-situ-Messungen, insbesondere spiegelten die BBD-Daten den saisonalen Deformationsverlauf der Staumauer genau wider. Die Analyse ergab hohe R²-Werte, was auf eine starke lineare Beziehung hinweist. 90% der p-Werte lagen unter 0,05, was hohe statistische Signifikanz anzeigt. Diese Ergebnisse bestätigen das Potenzial der PSI-Satellitentechnologie als ergänzendes Instrument zur Überwachung von Staubauwerken, wobei eine sorgfältige Datenanalyse entscheidend für die Genauigkeit ist.In this study, satellite observations using Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI) at the Leibis/Lichte dam in the Thuringian Slate Mountains were compared with in-situ plumb data to monitor deformations on dams. A strong correlation was observed between the German Ground Motion Service (BBD) satellite data and the in-situ measurements, especially reflecting the seasonal deformation pattern of the dam accurately. The analysis revealed high R² values, indicating a strong linear relationship. 90% of the p-values were below 0.05, demonstrating high statistical significance. These results confirm the potential of PSI satellite technology as a complementary tool for monitoring dams, with precise data analysis being crucial for accuracy

KI4KI: Neues Projekt zur regelmäßigen Überwachung von Stauanlagen aus dem All

Die Überwachung von Staubauwerken stellt Stauanlagenbetreiber vor viele Herausforderungen. Insbesondere aufgrund der Kosten und des Zeitaufwandes werden Staubauwerke oft nur ein- bis zweimal im Jahr durch trigonometrische Messungen überwacht. Seit einigen Jahrzehnten liefern jedoch Radarsatellitendaten nützliche Informationen zum Infrastrukturmonitoring. Satellitendaten der Copernicus Sentinel-1 Mission erlauben es, mittels der Technik der Persistent Scatterer Interferometrie (PSI), Deformationsmessungen von Staubauwerken im Millimeterbereich mit einem zeitlichen Abstand von 6 bis 12 Tagen durchzuführen. In einem Verbundprojekt zwischen der Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena und dem Ruhrverband soll ein Dienst entwickelt werden, der bisherige Überwachungsstrategien der Anlagen durch Nutzung der PSI Technik verbessert. Zudem sollen neuartige Geräte genutzt werden, die die Sichtbarkeit der Stauanlagen im Satellitenbild erhöhen sowie Methoden der künstlichen Intelligenz genutzt werden, um Deformationen im Falle von Extremwetterereignissen besser vorhersagen zu können.The monitoring of impounding structures poses many challenges to dam operators. Especially due to the costs and time involved, dams are often monitored only once or twice a year by trigonometric measurements. For several decades, radar satellite data have provided useful information for infrastructure monitoring. Satellite data from the Copernicus Sentinel-1 mission, using the technique of Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI), allow deformation measurements of dams in the millimeter range with a time interval of 6 to 12 days. In a joint project between the Friedrich Schiller University Jena and the Ruhrverband, a service is to be developed that improves the existing monitoring strategy of the dams using the PSI technique. In addition, new equipment will be used to increase the visibility of the dams in the satellite image, and artificial intelligence methods will be used to better predict deformations in the event of extreme weather events